1. Academia de Español D'Amore
Spanish Language School in Costa Rica
LA ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE
in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica was
founded in 1992 and is today recognized
as one of the best Spanish language
schools in Costa Rica. In addition to
offering excellent Spanish language
programs, you will be hard pressed to
find a more beautiful location within Costa
Rica. When students arrive at the
Spanish school in Manuel Antonio, they
are given an oral proficiency interview to
determine their level. Based on this
interview, they are placed tentatively in
one of six levels. Once placed in a class,
students will experience the school’s total
immersion methodology.
Location and Facilities
At only 30 minutes by plane from San José Costa Rica. ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE is
located in the pacific coast town of Manuel Antonio just to the south-west of Quepos. Manuel
Antonio is simply described as a tropical
paradise. Its sandy white beaches and high cliffs
are situated in a vibrant rain forest full of
extraordinary flora and fauna surrounded by an
endless blue sea. The school itself sits on the
side of a mountain overlooking the Manuel
Antonio Beach Park Area and the Pacific.
Classrooms are comfortable, and are situated
both inside the building and outside on the
comfortable patio. This school is the perfect
option for those who want to get away from to the
beaches and natural parks of Costa Rica, while at
the same time learning Spanish. LA ACADEMIA
DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE offers free high speed internet service at specific times of the day. We
also offer wireless connections for those interested in bringing their laptops.
2. Course Options and Fees
LA ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE offers six levels of Spanish proficiency to guarantee the
student an appropriate placement. Students
range from absolute beginners to advanced
speakers of the language.
LA ACADEMIA DE ESPANOL D’AMORE offers
the following Course options:
Group Classes: 4 lessons per day in class sizes
of no more than 6 individuals. Average class size
ranges from 4-8 students. During four lessons
sessions (in the morning or in the afternoon),
students participate actively in a small group
environment. Each student is assured attention to
his individual academic needs.
Private Classes: One-on-one Spanish language instruction is designed especially for people who
want to progress at their own pace, work on specific vocabulary, have special needs or who have
limited time available. The scheduling for these classes is similar to the Group 4 Spanish Program.
Combined Program: This is an excellent Spanish program. It allows people to study and learn
Spanish in a very short period of time. In the mornings you will take the Group 4 Spanish Program.
In the afternoons you will then take 2 lessons per day of private Spanish language instruction. The
afternoon session can be used to reinforce what was learned
An additional “Gratis” Conversation Hour is also offered everyday for students to practice their
conversational skills in a very fun and casual setting.
Classes only Classes & Family
Two week course $845 U.S. $995 U. S.
Three week course $1100 U.S. $1325 U.S.
Four week course $1340 U.S $1640 U.S.
Five weeks course $1675 U.S $2050 U.S
Six weeks course $2010 U.S $2460 U.S
Seven weeks course $2345 U.S $2870 U.S
Eight weeks course $2680 U.S $3280 U.S
Courses begin every Monday, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM or 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
La Academia de Español D’Amore determines if student are placed in morning or
afternoon group.
Payment is neither non-refundable nor transferable once classes begin.
Deposit of $100.00 U.S. is required with application.
Remaining balance of tuition must be paid the first Monday of course at 9:00 AM.
Payment is accepted in U.S. Dollars, Costa Rican Colones, cashier’s check or
traveler’s checks, personal checks or credit cards are accepted.
The school is closed for Costa Rican holidays, classes cannot be recuperated.
3. Teaching Method
LA ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE is renowned for its teaching methodology based on the
holistic way of learning (Total Immersion Methodology.)
This is a way of teaching in which the target language is taught with strong active use without using
any translations at all, and it is completely
intended to help students achieve
communicative competence since day one.
For those students that experience difficulty with
the total immersion concept, the Spanish school
offers supplemental instruction in English once a
week to clarify any doubts or problems. The
main goal of the school is to guide students
towards the achievement of communicative skills
that will help them interact in a more comfortable
and confident class, homestay, and world
setting. With this objective in mind, the staff of
the school feels completely motivated to offer a
high quality program compounded by four hour
classes, from Monday to Friday, with choices of two, three, four, or more weeks.
Accommodation
Students are suggested to participate in the homestay program designed to satisfy the fulfillment of
a complete immersion in foreign language acquisition. Local host families are carefully selected
and provide two delicious meals daily, cultural interchange and laundry service. As a guest in a
host family, you will be treated as a member of the home by sharing meals and experiences
together and enriching your international
cultural opportunities. Our past students
have commented that this program is one
of the best aspects of the school.
Alternatively, students can choose beach
lodging at one of the many hotels or
cabinas which surround the school.
Activities
As a reinforcement of this Total Immersion
Program, ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL
D’AMORE considers the strong importance
of the cultural interaction for learning
Spanish with more efficient results. Therefore, La Academia de Español D’Amore offers:
Latin Dance Classes (Salsa, Merengue, and
Cumbia). Learn how to dance Salsa, Merengue
and Cumbia in a fun and entertaining way. Learn
the origin and history of these dances, and
vocabulary of the human body. Learn gradually
from the basic steps to the most artistic pirouettes.
Feel the rhythm of Latin music while moving your
body in a very healthy and relaxing way. Practice
what you learn in these classes with “ticos and
ticas” in the different dancing places of Manuel
4. Antonio, and Quepos. Make friends and practice your Spanish while you dance and have fun.
Tropical Fruit Classes. Learn the names of the most delicious fruits in the world. Taste the flavor
of the most intriguing and juicy shapes, sizes, and colors. Learn and taste different categories of
vocabulary that have to do with the healthiest products of the tropical forests.
Latin Music Classes. Consider music and its lyrics as one of the most productive strategies to
learn Spanish and the culture that is behind it. Strengthen your listening comprehension skills, your
grammar patterns, and increase your vocabulary with some of the most popular Latin American
and Spanish singers. Listen, learn, and sing with the most beautiful songs of love, life, and
passion. Bring your musical instruments and play while you sing songs that will captivate your
heart and will enhance your love for Costa Rican and Latin American culture and folklore. Also,
once in Quepos/Manuel Antonio you will have the chance to enjoy yourself with horseback riding,
sport fishing, international cuisine, bars and discos, river rafting and expeditions in kayaks, surfing,
snorkeling, bird and butterfly watching, quiet beaches, astounding sunsets and the most exclusive
Spanish Immersion Center in Costa Rica! One day a week, students participate in a field trip that
focuses on a social or environmental issues in the Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica area or the town of
Quepos.
LA ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE offers the opportunity to study and concentrate on
SPANISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES.
Spanish for Medical Professionals or Students:
This is a linguistic concentration on the Human
Body and its anatomy, illnesses and diseases,
symptoms and characteristics, prognosis and
diagnosis, treatments and procedures, the hospital
and its human and physical components, etc.
Spanish for Lawyers or Law Students: Legal
terminology and documentary will be the main focus
in this program. Creation of fictitious legal
situations together with analysis of real events will
lead the student to a better grasp and usage of legal procedures in a Spanish context.
Spanish for Business Professionals or M.B.A. Students: Deep study of the language mainly
concentrated on different areas of business action and all of the technical terminology involved in
this field of work: advertising, marketing, finances, foreign trade, Costa Rican economy, etc.
Spanish for Teachers and Professors: Learn how to interact in a teaching-learning process
setting in Spanish. The main concentration of this program is based on the teaching procedures:
designing the curriculum, planning a class, preparing activities, giving instructions, explaining
material and contents of study, learning the Costa Rican educational system, etc.
These programs are offered only under private instruction and the schedules will be designed to
the convenience of both teachers and students.
ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE Schedule
ACADEMIA DE ESPAÑOL D’AMORE is open year-long except for the last two weeks of the
calendar year and the following Costa Rican National Holidays: Holy Thursday and Friday (April
21st, April 22nd), Día de Juan Santa Maria (April 11), Labor Day (May 1), Anexión de
Guanacaste (July 25), Mother's Day (August 15), Independence Day (September 15) Culture
Day (October 12). Classes can not be recuperated on these days. To assure the highest quality
education it is suggested that the students accommodate their travel plans to begin the school on
the following Mondays, 2011:
5. January 3 10 27 24 31
February 7 14 21 28
March 7 12 18 25
April 4 12 18 25
May 2 9 16 23 30
June 6 13 20 27
July 4 11 18 25
August 1 8 16 2 29
September 5 12 19 26
October 3 10 17 24 31
November 7 14 21 28
December 5 112 19 26
Students that enroll on other Mondays will be placed in an existing class.
Arrival information
When the students arrive in the school, they are given an
O.P.I. (Oral Proficiency Interview) according to the
A.C.T.F.L. standards (American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages). Placements are based on the
Conversational Approach; that means the students are
placed according to how much they can produce orally, in
small groups of no more than five students. This group
size allows students to have a more intense contact with
the language and a more personalized interaction with
teachers and other classmates.
P. O. Box : Costa Rica – Apdo. 67-6350 Manuel Antonio, Quepos Tel/Fax: (506) 2777-0233 – (505) 2777-1143
2812 Horseshoe Bend, Hartland, WI 53029 Tel/Fax: (262) 367-8598
4150 Arch Dr. #216, Studio City, CA 91604 Tel: (818) 434-7290
www.academiadamore.com info@academiadamore.com